Fetching Orihime
by finickypanicky
Summary: IshidaxOrihime.Orihime is in deep trouble. This gives Ishida the perfect opportunity to wear his superhero costume to save his damsel in distress! Well, it did started out that way until Ishida panicked...
1. Fetching Orihime

_**AN: I have edited this chapter to include the translations for the Japanese words I used. My deepest apologies to everyone out there for failing to include it in the first run.  
**_

_**Don't hesitate to point out any other errors **_**_I made be it the language/grammar or your disappointment in the way I have butchered your fav character!_**

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Disclaimer: I **do not** own the characters featured here but they belong to their respective owners. 

"Hmm…what should I have for dinner tonight? Mayonnaise with ramen…no I had that last night…onion salad and wasabi and anko… "

As if my stomach understood what I was thinking, it started to growl like a tiger simultaneously my hand phone started ringing too. Ignoring the sounds coming from my stomach, I waded over my notes littered floor (I was studying for my finals before my attention shifted to Onii-chan then Kurosaki-kun and finally... food), stubbed my toe on the edge of the coffee table and nearly tripped over the bunched up carpet on the floor. Thankfully I managed to regain my balance before...I fell crashing into my beautifully arranged jyuunishi animal collection which fell crashing onto the hard floor breaking into multiple pieces and strewing shards of glass everywhere.

I cried out in pain as I accidentally received several cuts on my hands and arms (since I'm now lying comfortably in the middle of the wreck) and silently cursed whoever it is that is calling as the phone is now still shrieking impatiently in its shrill voice. If it wasn't for the phone I won't be in this mess. But then again, if I _do _study in a neater manner, this, wouldn't have happened either.

Luckily, the phone is not that far away from where I currently am. I hurriedly crawled to the persistent hand phone grabbing it in mid-ring, ignoring the pain and the new cuts I just received from that ridiculously short journey through the minefield. Flicking it open, my heart skipped a beat when I caught a glimpsed of the name that is displayed on it. **Kurosaki Ichigo **.

"Hello… Inoue speaking…," I said into the phone. My heart throbbing so fast that I felt like I was going to faint right there and then as I held my breath waiting for Kurosaki-kun to answer. It is not like we are _that_ close or he calls to chat with me _every single day_. If he does not say anything soon I think I will die of asphyxiation.

"_Inoue-san_… where are you?" a deep voice answered after what seems like eternity. I blinked with surprise and confusion when my brain finally register that this is not Kurosaki-kun's voice but instead this is…this is…_ Ishida Uryuu_!

A million questions raced through my mind. What happened to Kurosaki-kun? How come Ishida-kun is calling from his hand phone? Huh…what is going on? …Of course I'm at home where else should I be! But why is Ishida-kun calling me? ... Why does he sound so worried…?

"Inoue san…Inoue san…are you there?" Ishida-kun's voice could be heard coming from the hand phone clutched loosely in my right hand.

"Hello, Inoue san? ...Hello?...Are you ok? ..."

"Ishida-kun…," I finally managed to croak into the phone after snapping out of my daze.

"Err…Inoue san…what happened just now? Are you alright?" Ishida-kun's rich voice full of concern answered back.

"I'm fine…totally fine…there was this cat, its paw got stuck in the garbage disposal thingy and it was calling out so pitifully so I had to go and free it," I explained. Since Ishida-kun sounded like he needed an explanation, that was the only thing that I could come up with at that instant. I don't know why I told him that either. It was not a lie because a cat _did _get stuck in my kitchen sink the other day and I _did_ release it from its predicament and then it started springing miraculously on its injured paw around _my _kitchen as if nothing has happened before making off with a few pieces of my sashimi which has been soaked in soy sauce, honey, ketchup, and green tea overnight. I was really looking forward to eating it after waiting a whole night for it to be marinated but there it went instead. To tell you the truth, it tastes even better with ice-cream and bread then it's present state.

"Oh….I see…I'm sure the cat will be grateful and all but Inoue-san…_you are suppose to be here_…_**now**…_ at Uruhara's store…you said you'll be coming by yourself and don't need a lift from anyone…"

My mind went blank for a second. What is Ishida kun talking about? Then realization hit me. It hit me hard. I gulped with guilt.

"Ahhhh…Ishida-kun…gomen ne…I forgot about it…"I replied.

"What! ... We were just talking about it yesterday, how could you _have forgotten about it already_?" came Ishida-kun's voice in disbelief and sounded a few octaves higher than his normal low pitch. "Ok…calm down…I'll swing by and pick you up in 30 minutes…we're not that late… _yet_…there is still hope. Just get ready Inoue-san!"

"Hmmm…"that was all I could say which was a little useless since the line is now dead. When Ishida-kun's voice _is_ in that tone, there is no room for arguments. I shut the hand phone and took a look at myself. I am a wreck; my hair is all in knots…my arm hurts…and my beloved figurines are all in pieces...maybe I should tend to these cuts first before I die of anemia due to over loss of blood. Shoot, my powers don't work on myself!

Since I have to do it the old-fashioned way, I carefully made my way to the kitchen sink cautious not to step on any tiny pieces of glass. My stomach still growling. I was about to turn on the tap to rinse my wounds when the doorbell rang.

"That can't be Ishida-kun…he said he'll be here in half an hour;" I thought to myself as I turned and head towards the front door.

I opened the door and as if my thoughts could be converted to reality in a blink of an eye there _is _Ishida-kun standing majestically in his full Quincy apparel right outside. I opened my mouth to greet him but was cut short…by the surprise look on Ishida-kun's face and the sound of his jaw hitting the ground.

"_What happened to you?_" Ishida-kun said, quickly recovering from his previous state. "…and the place…did the cat do this? ...it must have been a _big _one!" he added, after scanning through the room with his deep blue eyes.

I looked back and saw what he saw. There are pieces of glass littered everywhere, books and papers scattered over the place and the culprit who caused all this, the bunched up carpet still bunched up in a heap. To a stranger, it looks like a fight had taken place in my apartment and that must have been what Ishida-kun is _thinking right now. _

I quickly turn back to face Ishida. "_Chigaimasu yo_…it's not what you think…I had a tiny itsy bitsy bit of accident just now, but I'm totally fine…absolutely!" I said in my most cheery voice. "_Didn't you say you'll only be here in 30 minutes?_" I added, changing the subject.

Ishida-kun definitely did not buy the explanation because his eyes are getting wider and wider by the moment and it didn't look like he heard the question either. If it got any wider, it would most probably roll out of its sockets. He obviously didn't hear my question either. I was about to repeat myself when he …

"Inoue san…_thank goodness_ my Quincy skills are now at a higher level and I can move_ faster_ than before…_but_…you should have said something about needing help just now…….then I would have reached here sooner instead of taken my own sweet time to get here!...and...silly me…there I thought you needed more time to get ready...long hair to comb...eyelashes to curl...face to powder...and...and…and…you are bleeding! Ahhh….what do we do? ...what…"

As quick as lightning, Ishida-kun's panic is over and he led me into the house towards the nearest chair. Then, he proceeded to examine my cuts. Some still had tiny fragments of glass embedded in them.

"Some of these are pretty serious…but don't worry…I'll fix you up in no time … no time at all..." he said in his gentle soothing voice totally different from a second ago. Then Ishida-kun stood up and started to rummage through the so-called pockets of his get up, and a silver box appeared in his hand. He opens it ceremoniously and out comes a needle with a generous amount of string still threaded through the eye.

I shut my eyes in fright as he approaches menacingly towards me. Needle held up high like the knife in 'Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho'.

"_Oh no, is he going to sew me up like one of those pieces in our arts and handicrafts club?_ **Besides**, these cuts are pretty shallow and it will heal in no time. _They don't need stitches._ I'm sure Tessai has something to heal it even sooner without all the hassle and torture. We can bandage all of the cuts up for the time being and head over there right now and let Tessai tend to it…_though he may look like the giant in 'Jack and the beanstalk' but he's really spectacular with those healing powers of his and since everyone is already waiting for us…I'm sure he doesn't mind one bit_….it is _way _better than _**this**……_"

The touch of Ishida-kun's hand felt cool on my arm. I waited for the pain but it did not come. I gambled my chance and took a peek. The needle was nowhere insight but in his hand was a tube of antiseptic and he is slowly dabbing it onto the less severe cuts after cleaning off the blood with this slightly moist piece of cloth which have the smell of 'dettol' on it. The cuts sting a little but the feeling passed as quickly as it came.

"_Huh? ...where did he get that? What happened to the needle? ... Isn't he going to sew me up ... "_

As if to answer my questions, I notice the threatening needle now lay forgotten by its owner on the table. Next to it were tiny pieces of glass which Ishida-kun must have extracted painlessly from my cuts when I had my eyes closed.

His touch is so gentle, and his long fingers smooth against my skin. I am amazed. Astounded. Speechless. With all those arrow shooting, shouldn't his fingers be rough with scab? I wonder what it must be like to be one of those dresses he makes in the club. The feeling of just being in his hands; being sewed with a long white thread with tiny stitches the length of a small sugar ant with equal spacing between each stitch. It must be the feeling of heaven! I close my eyes trying to imagine the feeling for a fleeting second.

"Inoue-san…are you ok? Sorry…if I was too rough on the cuts!" I was jolted back to reality. Ishida-kun is now flailing his hands around in deep apology his cheeks slightly red.

"_No…no…I'm totally fine…I was just trying to imagine the feeling of being a cloth in the process of being sewed by you! ...it must be a wonderful feeling 'cause your touch is like…like...like...silk being sliced by a samurai sword…._" I replied.

"_Oh_…….."

That was all Ishida-kun could say. He reached for another bandage from the silver box, which by the way is a first aid kit and not his sewing kit as I have first thought and started to bandage my arms. Then he moved on to my foot. Everything was all over in a minute much to my disappointment.

Ishida-kun is getting _really_ efficient at this.

I told Ishida-kun to wait for a there just for a minute so that I could change and we could leave as soon as possible. A few minutes later, I reappear back in the living room clad in a more comfortable t-shirt and pants. My hair straight and free of tangles with the two green flower clips neatly nestled at the each side of my head. It is bad enough that I forgot about all this business but we wasted enough time when Ishida-kun tended to my cuts. The thought of those hands and the feeling just now makes me swoon temporarily but that was not all…

My apartment now does not look like my apartment anymore. Ishida-kun had gotten the place swept, my notes all straighten up in neat stacks on the table, the carpet nicely flatten and spread out at its rightful position in the middle and my whole collection of jyunnishi animals... all patched up and dust free. In fact he is now adjusting the cow because the spacing between it and the mouse is slightly off by a few millimeters. When he is done, he took a step back and admired his handy work. A silly smile plastered on his face. The kitchen….the sink…the sofas…the curtains…the windows….I caught a glimpse of the toilet too…its hard not to notice since everything is sparkling so brightly that I think my corneas are now fried to crisp._Wait_...what is that fluffy pink thing on _my toilet_ seat?

Ishida-kun is getting really scary. How could he do so much in less than 5 minutes? I swear I only took that long to change and get ready and the figurines were all broken up. How did he manage to sort out everything so fast much more mend it right down to perfection that it seems brand new? My eyes fell on the tube of…it appears to be glue lying atop the silver box next to the bottle of SHINE' N WAX...STAINS AWAY…CARPET CLEANER WITH ANTISEPTIC…MOULD REMOVER…ODOUR X'IT…GERMS BEGONE!…and many more bottles of god-knows-what that I cannot even see the surface of the round table anymore. _He _carries _all_ that in his first aid kit! Kore wa honto ni _anno_ Ishida kun ka?

"Anou……Ishiii…daa kun…."

"Ossu…let's get going to Uruhara's place before Uruhara sends one of those bloody messages he did on our first trip to Soul Society…and mess up your beautiful apartment!" Ishida-kun said walking towards the table and pocketing everything back into his Quincy uniform like he does it everyday!

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**_Translations_**

**_ramen - Chinese noddles which is stretched  
_**

**_anko - red bean paste _**

**_chigaimasu yo - No, you are wrong!_**

**_gomen ne - sorry_**

**_jyuunishi - 12 zodiac animals _**

**_Onii-chan - salutation for older brother _**

**_ossu - yes_**


	2. Getting out

Thank you lems for the review, I hope you enjoy this too. I had a great time writing it!

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Disclaimer: I **do not **own Bleach and its characters but they belong to their respective owners. 

Orihime's POV

Apart from being blinded by the sparkles emanating from the whole place,I am starting to get weird thoughts about Ishida-kun.

"I still can't get over that feeling of his touch on my arms and legs when he tended to my wounds. Ahhh….that wondrous feeling is priceless, I crave for it like lemon flavoured soba topped with chocolate flakes and whipped cream. I need it now…right now…right this instant! And that move he just did, the sweeping of those bottles of different sizes all into his _chibi_ pocket. It's so cool. Who would have thought _my _ultra thin Ishida-kun have all those dangerous stuff on him? … _Kurosaki-kun's_ big chopper knife can't match that stuff…and _the _Ishida-kun _the _sensational _Ishida-kun_, is standing right in front of me, in my very apartment…_mine…_and he was just…_eeek…_"

_**  
Ishida-kun! ...**_

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Ishida's POV 

"_Huh… Inoue-san? ... What is it?" _a startled Ishida-kun turned from the doorway at the sudden scream of his name from his classmate. It sounded like a scream of fear…pain…or is it…torture. What is the matter? Did the cuts open up? Or did a 'Hollow' appear? Attacking my poor _defenseless_ Inoue-san…it must be powerful to sneak up on me like that and I can't sense it!

"_Dammit_!"

My eyes quickly scanned the apartment for _the 'Hollow'_ that have _my Inoue-san s_creaming in terror.

"Where is _it? ..._Come out you big_ fat chicken!_" I shouted out with anger at this unseeingly creature so mighty that till now I can sense Xerox of its presences. My bow all poised and ready on my right hand, gathering spiritual energy from around and shaping it into a blue arrow with my left.

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Orihime's POV 

"_Ano_u……. Ishiii…daa…….kun? Who are you talking to?" I finally managed to ask _my _jet black hair warrior/saviour/knight in Quincy outfit, after staring at him wild-eyed with surprise and awe.

Ishida-kun was still looking frantically around the apartment, searching for something, moving and aiming his bow synchronize with his line of sight. He looks so cool…standing there with his white uniform flapping…with that humungous bow attached on his hand and that arrow…its blue is so clear and reeks with innocence. Now if only he would pay attention to me and my questions! _REALLY_…he's so absorbed with _god-knows-what_…it is like he's totally in another world!

"**_ISHIDA-KUNNN! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" _**I practically shouted after waiting for what seems like eternity for an answer from _my adorable _preoccupied Quincy and still getting no answer.

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Ishida's POV 

"Where is it? ...Where is it hiding? Above? Below? Left? Right? … It's not anywhere? ...the toilet?...nope…behind the curtains?...nope…." I thought to myself. Flitting through all the possible hiding places in my mind but to no avail, it is not anywhere! "I'm really lucky to be able to fight _this 'hollow'…_ to be able to conceal itself this well…its going to be a challenge…"

"**_ISHIDA-KUNNN! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?..."_**

That sounds like Inoue-san. I quickly turned to face her. Panic gripped my insides. _Oh no_!... It must have gotten to her…how can I be so careless? ... I can never forgive myself if anything happens to her... what am I doing? Letting my guard down like that!

To my surprised, I was greeted by the sight of Inoue-san never looking any pinker than ever; she is still standing at the same spot she was standing a while ago and there is no slash wounds or bloody arms or….

"_Finally..._what are you doing? _What's with the bow all of a sudden….though you look absolutely dashing with that pose…and that arrow…I have never seen anything so bright…except for my apartment now…but that is no rival to that arrow of yours…its perfectly shaped too…and pointy…and…it really goes with that outfit and…that gloves of yours…we must take a picture of this...for remembrance sake...besides, I have never seen you in..._"

"…Err…_Inoue-san…_"

"_Oh…sorry I got carried away…carry on, so what is this about…?_" replied Inoue-san with her famous giggle stuck to the end of her sentence.

"_You are not hurt…are you?_"

"_Nope…thanks to you I'm totally fine…with you around parents can relax cause their children are in safe hands…really...really...safe_"

"_Then…that scream just now…what's that about…was something attacking you?...a hollow?"_

"_Hollow?__Where?..._" Inoue-san looked frantically around, repeating my previous actions except her hands are now at the sides of her head on her clips.

**  
POP! POP! POP! **

Out came her creatures…flying in the air around her. I stared at her…she looks so gorgeous with her hair billowing in the wind conjured by her creatures. She looks so gentle and fragile…and the way she treats those creatures…I definitely want her to be the mother of….

"**Y_o, why did you call us out for? I don't sense any threatening things around…definitely no hollows around this vicinity….as far as 100km from here!...Don't just call us out for nothing, you useless girl! We are not toys for you to play with when you're bored...sheesh!" _**

My thoughts were cut short by the shrill but deep voice coming from the creature dressed all in black. He then proceeded to pull Inoue-san by her hair simultaneously calling her names like a little brat.

"_Ahh…sorry… sorry… sorry…I thought there were hollows around here. Sorry…really sorry…you can go back now! Thank you for coming out when I called…"_

**  
POP! POP! POP! **The creatures are gone.

_  
Oops, I must have been mistaken!_ The bow and arrow in my hands disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"_Inoue-san…just now…when you screamed…I thought you were in danger…a hollow had appeared…and I was just…_" I explained. My cheeks burning hot with embarrassment.

"_No sorry Ishida-kun, it was my fault…I was…I was…_" her face turned bright red. "_Ok…let's get going……_"she said in her cheery voice and walked with her springy steps to the door.

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**_Translations_**

**_chibi - tiny _**

**_anou - umm...  
_**


	3. enroute

Disclaimer: I **do not** own Bleach and its characters but they belong to their respective owners.

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Orihime's POV 

I twisted the key in the lock and pocketed it. The corridor outside the apartment was empty, except for Ishida-kun who is waiting patiently by the stairs for me to finish securing my apartment. Our footsteps echoed eerily through the silent corridor as we descended the dimly lit staircase leading to the ground floor.

I breathed a sigh of relief for we have finally managed to leave the apartment without any new embarrassing misunderstandings developing between us.

"_Soul Society _here we come!" I cheered at the back of my mind. Then it occurred to me, how in the world are we getting to Uruhara's store? After all, Ishida-kun did say on the phone that he would 'pick' me up.

"It_ must_ be a car…" I concluded confidently. "Though… wonder what kind of car he drives."

Images of Ishida-kun behind the wheel of various kinds of cars flashed through my mind.

'A beaten down grey 'Toyota Corona' , bright pink Chevrolet , U-haul, yellow school bus….none of the vehicles suit Ishida-kun's character. They just **do not** fit his image at all. The ideal car for Ishida-kun should be silver…oblong… compact and a bit sleek but not too much…not too bulky or humongous...not too fancy…or too plain either. Definitely roofless since he's that kind who seems to enjoy the feel of wind on his face while driving….'

I mentally flipped through my catalogue of cars to find the car that fits the description perfectly but the only car I found in my quick reference is a car with two wheels to give it its compact and slightly sleek look, chromium coated driving handles with blue and white ribbons flowing down by its ears, silver panel doors and a cone shape boot and engine compartment. The car reminds me of a snow pea except this _snow pea_ does not have an outer shell and it is silver instead of green.

I nodded my head with satisfaction at the imaginary picture of Ishida-kun's car in my mind's eye. Subsequently, I begin to wonder about his driving abilities. Sado-kun once volunteered to drive a couple of us to watch the national debate at Higishima High School. We accepted the offer and piled into his gigantic maroon Land rover expecting the 'ride' of our lives. After all, he was one of the few students who owned a car. Despite the oversize car and the mean looking driver inside, Sado-kun drove with such caution that he never ever speeds over 30km/hr throughout the whole journey. Thus, we ended up arriving there just in time to witness the upraising of the beautifully ornamented gold trophy by the wining team.

'Wonder if Ishida-kun drives like Sado-kun…or does he drives over old ladies in the process of crossing the road...'

I was so absorbed with my thoughts on the lanky archer that I did not realize that I have missed a step. Losing my balance, I thrust out my hand to reach for the railings in an effort to regain my stability. Grabbing it in time, I was surprise that the railings felt warm and soft.

"Inoue-san, are you ok?" came Ishida-kun's voice from my side. My right palm nestled neatly in his left hand. "Be careful…"

I blush crimson red when I realized that I am holding onto his hands instead of the railings. "Th…Thank you, Ishida-kun. You have done so much for me today!" I manage to reply.

"No…it was nothing much," he replied his famous monotonous line.

I gave him a warm smile and stepped out into the night. The starless sky hung above us with the moon currently hidden behind a cloud. Streetlight illuminated the sidewalks.

I look around searching in anticipation for Ishida-kun's car. This is weird! There are no vehicles in sight in front of the building or anywhere up or down the street.

'Maybe…maybe… he parked his car behind….in the alley…' I reasoned out. "Or……maybe it's a special car….a prototype….where only the owner itself and really smart people can see it….like the clothes of the emperor in that fairytale….wow….never expected Ishida-kun to get one of those cars…..must have cost a fortune!"

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Ishida's POV 

"Would she allow me to carry her? Or would she freak out? Should I ask her first….or should I just pick her up and run? How should I pick her up…feet first….or grab her around the waist and hoist her up….or just swing her onto my back like a sling bag…..or maybe I should try the bride-on-wedding night style? Now…**_that is_** too intimate..._Dammit_ _Kurosaki Ichigo_….. "

_Flashback_

"Osoi na…Inoue…this is not like her……."commented the orange haired _Shinigami_. " _Ishida…_maybe you should run over to her place and see what's holding her up?"

"Me...?Why me? Why don't you get Sado-kun to do it? Better still, why don't _you _do it yourself since you are the one worrying about her…….maybe she left already….and if she did…isn't it redundant to run all the way there?"

"Oh…now that you mentioned it, maybe we _should_ call her first! _And…_if she _is_ still at home, you can go and fetch her…..you are faster than Chado in that area…..besides…. its getting dark….you wouldn't want her to get mugged or raped on her way by a serial rapist do you?…_here_ _you go…_" said Ichigo throwing his hand phone towards Ishida Uryuu, signaling the end of the conversation.

I caught the hand phone with my right hand. "Why do _I _have to….to…."the protest died on my lips. The owner of the store and all its employees stood at the side staring daggers at me and shaking their heads in unison; disappointment with my present attitude clearly written all over their faces. It is not like I _**do not** _want to fetch Inoue-san but why does Kurosaki get to boss me around? In fact, I am actually thrilled to be able to go by her place but why does Kurosaki has to spoil everything with _his attitude?_

_Back to the present_

'I can do this….I can do this…I can do this….' I muttered to myself. "Just explain to her calmly what the plan is…..pick her up….get her there…put her down and we are done! It's so simple. After all, I'm supposed to fetch her… _right_!'

"_Inoue-san_……"I started.

"Ano….Ishida-kun! _Sugoi…_Although I can't see it…..the car is nice! I like it….its really cool," she clapped her hands.

As expected, this is easier said than done! Wonder what in the world is she talking about. _Car? What car_? There are no cars on the road right now, so which one is she referring to?

"…..I didn't know such a car existed…..but its good… you don't have to worry about it being stolen since thieves are stupid and stupid people can't see it…"she continued.

"_Huh...?_"

"You don't have to look so modest about it…you should be proud of it….unless you couldn't see it too…but that's impossible since _you're_ the owner of the car and the top student in our form…."

Hearing this, I realized that Inoue-san thinks that I drove here to pick her up in some other-worldly vehicle which is only visible to extremely bright people. Oh boy, is she going to be in for a shock!

"_Inoue-san…you're mistaken…**I** don't have a car…I'm here to fetch you with…actually….I'm just suppose to sweep you up in my arms and carry you to Uruhara's store_" I blurted out. I wish I could disappear of the face of the Earth this instant. Why did I put it that way? Ishida Uryuu do you know what that sounded like? That sounded like an excerpt from some sappy romance novel!

"…_sweep… arms…carry…to Uruhara's store!_" she stared at me, her cheeks slightly coloured, her eyes big and round. Under the streetlight, she looks adorable, teeming with sweetness, oozing with innocence.

'_ISHIDA URYUU, YOU **ARE** DOING IT AGAIN!'_ I mentally chided myself. Why am I so sentimental all of a sudden?

I was about to open my mouth to say something when I felt it. The presence of a Hollow roughly two kilometers east from where we stood. This is definitely _not a hoax. _Adrenaline pumped through my body.

There is no time to worry about ethics now. I will explain it all to her later, I am sure Inoue-san would understand. Gathering spiritual energy to my legs, I sped like a bolt of lightning towards Inoue-san, literally sweeping her off her feet exactly like my words a minute ago and headed off in the direction of the Hollow.

­

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­­­­­­­­Orihime's POV 

'Did I just hear what I heard? Ishida-kun just said that he's going to sweep me of my feet and carry me to Uruhara's store. Someone pinch me…tell me that I'm dreaming…..'

Suddenly, Ishida-kun vanished into thin air. Without a warning, something collided into me. The wind rushed out of my lungs. The world melted into a blur, I reached out to grab something or anything that can stop its momentum. If only there is something around here! I squinted at the spot in front of me, fighting of waves of nausea. A vague pole-like structure is up ahead, within arms reach. Instinctively, I wrap my arms around it.

'Huh, where is this sweet fruity smell coming from? ...'

My eyelids feel heavy. I try to keep my eyes open but eventually my resolution crumbled and I dozed off. For some unknown reasons, the last thing running through my mind before I lost consciousness was strawberries!

* * *

Ishida's POV 

I look down at Inoue-san sleeping peacefully in my arms. The Hollow is somewhere close but still rather far away. There is still time! Calmly, I rummaged through my pocket and produced my portable mini dustpan and brush. Careful not to drop Inoue-san in the process; I gave the pavement a shoddy sweep to remove the tiny pebbles and dust. I definitely do not want her to get bruises because of a single tiny mini small stone or get her beautiful hair all dusty! It would lose all its luster and shine. When the pavement was satisfactorily cleaned, I untangled Inoue-san's arms from around my neck and gently lay her down. That task accomplished, I stood up in time to see one of the Hollows bounding across the roof.

Immediately, my bow appeared in my right hand. My left hand instantly reached for the metal piece protruding out from my glove and a blue arrow forms. I cocked the bow and aimed at the flying Hollow. The arrow whistled through the air and struck the Hollow squarely on its neck, severing it.

ARRRGHHHHH…….

The Hollow let out a painful wail and explodes with a flash of light. I smirked. There goes one less Hollow in the world.

I look back down at the sleeping figure of Inoue-san. She is still sound asleep with a silly smile plastered on her face. She must be having a good dream. Ah, she looks like an angel! I wonder if there is hope for the two of us to be together.

"**_ICHIGOOOOOO…." _**Inoue-san called out suddenly, smacking her lips.

Waves of jealousy swept through me. Of course, her heart belongs to that dandelion head guy. How silly of me to even think about the possibility of that happening!

"_**I LOVE ICHIGO…..! YIPEEE……MORE…AND…MORE…ICHIGO!"**_

The sound of Inoue-san crying out in ecstasy for Kurosaki irks me even more. Maybe she is not that innocent after all! Though, that still does not change the way I feel for her. Pushing the loathsome thoughts about Kurosaki out of my mind, I stoop down and picked her up.

'Ichigo, ichigo, ichigo…..' I could hear her murmuring in her sleep.

I shook my head with disappointment and hurried on towards Uruhara's store. Feeling blue and really dejected deep inside!

* * *

Orihime's POV 

When I opened my eyes, I found myself in a field of strawberries. Ripe big red ones hung down from its tendrils!

"**_ICHIGOOO_…."**my shout echoed through the land. **"_I LOVE ICHIGO…..!_**

Giggling with delight, I ran through the field. Occasionally bending down to grab some of it and subsequently stuffing them into my mouth. My mouth filled with its sweet taste.

I climb up a hill. Beyond it, the flat land was covered with more and more strawberries as far as the eyes could see!

"**_YIPEEE….MORE…AND….MORE….ICHIGO!"_**

A few minutes later, I feel satiated and stuffed. Sitting on the grassy ground, I wished, "If only I have some cheese to go with this."

My wish was granted with the sound of running water. I follow the sound and right there before my eyes is a yellow stream. I ran down to its banks and kneeled before it. With my hands cupped, I scooped up some of it and tasted it.

'Hmm….this tastes delicious.'

* * *

_**AN: Ichigo in Japanese also means strawberry, though it sounds the same as the name of our beloved orange haired Shinigami, the kanji for both of them is different!**_

_**Translations: **_

_**Osoi – late**_

_**Sugoi - exclamation of admiration**_


	4. At the store

Thank you to everyone who had reviewed. I hope this is on par with the standard you have set out for this story.

Thank you Ah-choo for pointing out the need for separation of different characters. I will edit the rest of the chpts later to correct the mistake.

I hope this is deep enough for you lems. Sorry for making Orihime sound so stupid in the previous chpts!

* * *

Disclaimer: I **do not **own bleach and its characters but they belong to their respective owners. 

Chad's POV

"Wow, that was fast……" said Kurosaki, his words dripping with sarcasm. "Even _Chado _would have been back by now, if he went instead of you……_no offence intended, Chado_!"

I grunted understandingly at my friend. I eyed the sleeping figure in Ishida's arms with surprise. From where I stood, she looked mummified with both her arms heavily bandaged and more bandages peeping out of the leggings of her pants.

Ishida ignored Ichigo's words and went straight up to him. He pushed the sleeping body of Inoue-san forcefully into his arms. Kurosaki arched his eyebrows with surprise at this sudden move but instinctively held on to the sleeping girl.

"Wh….wha…what did you do that for?" shouted Ichigo, shoving Inoue back at him. Ishida had no choice but to hold on to her lest she falls to the ground and sustains yet another bruise. "I can see that that Inoue is here now……you don't have to give her to me like some sort of _thing_…._object_…_tool_…"

Glaring at him, Ishida shoved Inoue back into his arms. "After carrying her all the way here…I think she deserves to be held by _you for a minute or two_! She's been calling your name ever since I _picked _her up! _You _should have went to fetch her instead of me…since its obvious it was you she wanted…_not me_!" Ishida's anger exploded from within and he is practically yelling at Ichigo.

'This is highly unusual, I've never seen Ishida acting like this before. He is usually level-headed all the time.' I thought.

Ichigo stared at Ishida with disbelief. The little gears in his head clicking furiously away trying to decide whether Ishida is playing a sick joke on him or is really traumatized by the incident of just 'fetching' Inoue or what he is saying now is really the truth and nothing but the truth. He finally decided on the former one though it is _so_ unlike the taciturn Ishida to play such a childish prank on him!

"What do you mean…..? _Inoue?_ _My name_….?" answered Ichigo feigning confusion and shock, with his right hand on his chest. "Hah, you really got me there for a minute, Ishida…but I'm not going to fall for such a lame joke," Ichigo laughed out loud, dropping his façade.

Suddenly, Ichigo's laughter ceased to an abrupt halt. He stared at the girl in his arms with a serious look of concentration on his face. I was wondering what Ichigo is doing when I heard it; the soft calling of Ichigo's name as described by Ishida beforehand. Although it sounded really soft, it was _still _audible above the chirping of crickets.

Ichigo's face blanched and he pitched Inoue away like a baseball. No doubt, Jinta would have been extremely proud of Ichigo's screwball toss if he was actually present to witness it. Whoever would have known that our orange spiky haired Shinigami actually has a titsy wee bit of baseball talent in him? The only difference between a professional pitcher and Ichigo is that…professionals only throw baseballs while Ichigo……_ threw Inoue!_

"**_Shimata! Inoue….."_**

I quickly stretched my long legs in an effort get over there in time to catch Inoue. Halfway across, I realize that my efforts are useless since I would never reach her in time from this distance. I halted and decided to put my faith into Ishida instead.

'Ishida would catch her in time. Knowing him all too well he would definitely catch Inoue no matter what! He won't let any harm come to her!' I concluded.

As expected, Ishida _did_ manage to catch Inoue in the nick of time before she connected with the ground. I sighed with relief; glad Ishida lived up to my expectations of him.

Ishida peered down at Inoue-san, still sleeping soundly in his arms despite the fact that she had just been thrown like a shot-put into the air by the man she admired/loved the most (as claimed by Ishida a moment ago), demonstrated projectile motion (I always thought that this only happens in math problems we solve at school), and was nanometers away from having her head broken open like 'Humpty Dumpty' when he fell off _his_ wall. He stood there for a moment, with a silly smile on his face, lost in his own little world. Suddenly his expression changed. Flames of anger could be seen leaping from behind his eyes as he tore his gaze away from Inoue and relinquished it onto Ichigo.

Ichigo, having regained his composure now reciprocated Ishida's steely look with guilt.

"Err…sorry? Phew, you caught her in time, eh, Ishida….."

Keeping his voice flat and emotionless, he spoke, "_Kurosaki Ichigo_…. that was unforgivable….that's why I hate _Shinigamis_…..and shall do so for the rest of my life! Because they always try to hurt the people I care for and love more than anything else in the world. And to think…Inoue-san actually has _feelings_ for you….and you…you _actually _threw her away like a piece of _garbage_! I bet you, you weren't even aware of that fact, right? That she like you and all…even a monkey would have noticed it…..the way she acts when she's around you...the way she always praises you….even when you are just acting dumb. All her actions points to a point…that says…that says…"

Ishida's words broke away. Upon closer inspection of his face, I realized that he is brimming with _so_ much emotion that there are now tears in his eyes. From this distance, I am unsure if those were tears of joy or disappointment in Ichigo. But the fact remains that he is clearly too overwhelmed by it to even finish his own sentence!

"…to tell you the truth…I envy you Kurosaki…." continued Ishida in his flat monotonous voice, a tear rolled down his cheek on cue. "…you have the greatest girl in the world right beside you…and you don't even acknowledge her existence. Oh, how I wish it _was_ _me_ she was cherishing all those attention on…._me_ she was calling out to…_me_ she would one day say those three little words to me…"

"_I hate you?_" suggested Ichigo helpfully when he noticed his friend pausing again.

Ishida paid no heed to Ichigo's words but instead whispered, "I love you, Orihime!"

There was a momentarily silence after Ishida's sudden proclamation of love for our comrade. Everyone present were too stunt to comment anything about it.

'Honestly speaking, to me, Ishida did not seem to be _that _kind of person, the kind that would fall head over heels over a girl and start spouting mushy stuff with extra fluff in his words. Truth be told, I always thought he was into men. I thought he like them chunky with broad shoulders and rippling pectorals too.'

"_Iii….ssshi…daa…kkk…un"_

Everyone's attention is now diverted towards Inoue who is wide awake in Ishida's arms. We did not realize that she has aroused from her slumber and had overheard Ishida's whole touching oration.

Horrified at this turn of event, Ishida threw Inoue away; a reminiscence of Ichigo's earlier action except that Ishida's style of throw is much more artistic compared to Ichigo.

'For a moment there, Ishida looked like a bride throwing her…I mean his…bouquet of flowers to a giggle of expecting bride-to-be's. The only thing missing from this picture is the veil, the giggle of girls and the bouquet of…'

"**_Shimata! Inoue….."_**

I snapped out of my reverie and quickly bounded towards my airborne classmate without any hesitation.

'I am her only hope now! There is no one else to rely on to save Inoue. _Ichigo?_ He would most probably throw her away. _Ishida?_ Well, I wouldn't be in this mess if it weren't for him and to think he actually said he loves her! If this is love, love _really_ hurts!'

* * *

Ichigo's POV 

'_Kuso, Ishida!'_

I ran towards the direction Ishida threw Inoue.

­­­­­­­­­­­­'A minute ago he was all High and Mighty giving me a lengthy lecture about discarding Inoue like trash and seconds after that he personally blasted her off to the moon. Yup, he's no better than I am! No, you're wrong, he is _worse _than me; at least, _I _don't throw Rukia away like that even though _I_ _love her_! Hah, Ishida…love….yeah right…' I thought, while pumping my legs faster.

* * *

Ishida's POV 

'Oh no, why did I do that for…? Must have been inspired by Kurosaki! Hmph…I rather give my soul to Hollows than be inspired by that…that…' I cannot find the right word to describe Kurosaki Ichigo since my jealousy for him is still making its rounds through my blood veins.

I turn my thoughts back to my angel instead. 'In my opinion Inoue-san certainly has a more relaxing aura than that tall, orange headed orang utan dressed in black beggars clothes, with those dull shears strapped to his back and bathroom slippers…come to think of it, he really does reminds me of my ex-gardener who recently drowned in my garden of '_Veronica'._ Ah…Orihime! A sight for sore eyes and medicine for my ailing heart! By the way, _where is she?_'

Lost in my own thoughts, I stood there and pondered on that question for a while. I remember I was cuddling her in my arms a minute ago but she is definitely not there right now. I stared at my hands expecting the answer to pop out of nowhere. Then, the memories came flooding back. I panicked and hunted the sky for her. There she is a tiny speck illuminated by the moonlight about to hit earth's surface any time soon. I gathered and compressed spiritual energy into my legs and sped towards it.

I reached there in just time to hold out my arms to receive her, the only problem was it did not seem to be Orihime I caught but a fiery ball of light.

'Oh no, she must had disintegrated into a ball of fire due to air resistance! Calm down Ishida Uryuu _that _is impossible! If you count the angle of projection and distance traveled…'I blacked out before I could perform the necessary calculations.

* * *

Orihime's POV 

I held my breath as I listened intently to Ishida-kun's words. His words spoke volumes of his inner feelings. I could feel the intensity of it emanating from every single word he utters. When he ended his heartfelt confession with 'I love you, Orihime' a part of me sang out with exultation. He never calls me 'Orihime' before, not even once. It sounded perfect on his lips. He should call me that more often. My heart feels set afire just by it. Inspired by his courage to unburden his feelings to me, I felt the urge to scream out _my_ very own feelings too. I opened my mouth.

"_Iii….ssshi…daa…kkk…un"_ the words tumbled out warming up for the big event.

Suddenly, I found myself flying through air.

'I cannot believe this. I _am_ about to confess my feelings to Ishida-kun and he threw me away, _before I even started_. I really cannot believe this, _he actually threw me away!_' I thought frantically, my pride deeply wounded.

Impulsively, I brought my hands up to my clips.

'Hinagiku! Baigon! Lily! Sacred Tri-Link Shield! I reject!' I mentally called forth my powers.

My powers sprang into action and a glowing triangle formed in front of me. The shield buffered my fall but the impact of it created an explosion. Smoky tendrils rose steadily into the air casting its translucent screen around me. Through it, I could make out the outlines of three enormous things lying awkwardly on the ground. I waved the smoke away in exasperation to see what those things were and was very surprised to see a charred Sado-kun, Ishida-kun and Kurosaki-kun lying unconscious, generously spread out like butter on a slice of bread.

"Wonderful control of your powers…" said Uruhara-san, chuckling softly to himself, walking towards us. "_They _came to your rescue! It seems the damsel in distress apparently had outwitted her heroes once again…looks like they have under-estimated your powers and abilities, ne..."

He gave the area where the remains of my comrades lay, a sweep with his hands to prove his point. The weight of my action and Uruhara's words sank in. It was because of _me_ they are in this condition. I gulped guiltily.

'Oh no, _Ishida-kun. Kurosaki-kun. Sado-kun. I'm sorry_…'

I was silent for a minute, cracking my brains for a solution to turn the inevitable around. No use crying over spilt milk, after all, regardless of what everyone thinks, I _am_ not that kind of person, those soft and hopeless kinds who would weep at every single thing and give up when a minor setback presented itself.

"Ahh…I'll fix them up right now…this instant…" I voiced out my final decision cheerfully to Uruhara-san.

He nodded his approval. I brought my hands up to my clips. Concentrating, I summoned my powers once again.

"Shun'ou! Ayame! Sacred Return Shield! I reject!"

The fairy-like creatures appeared and flew to them. They glowed under the influence of my power and soon their bodies returned to their normal unmarred state although they are still unconscious.

I went over and squatted beside them.

"Sado-kun? Kurosaki-kun? Are you alright?" their eyes fluttered open and their chest rise and fall rhythmically to their breathing in reply. Now there is only Ishida-kun left. Unlike Kurosaki-kun and Sado-kun, his chest is not moving at all and his eyes are tightly shut.

'Ok, I may have a vendetta against him…..but this is too much…I hope he doesn't die out on me! I'm not done with him yet!'

"Ishida-kun…" I called out softly, crossing my fingers.

I touched his cheek lightly, his alabaster skin felt smooth and warm beneath my fingers. The warmness is a good sign, since it means that he is alive, and if you look at it this way, he could be just tired from our trip and _is_ sort of taking a nap right now. Nothing is more rejuvenating than a nap under the starry night sky with the moon beam awash on your face! Suddenly his eyes snapped open, I snatched my hand away.

"**_ORIHIME……I'm sorrryyyy!"_ **yelled Ishida-kun, simultaneously sitting up.

"He really loves you a lot, ne…." chuckled the straw head manager annoyingly. My cheeks burned red hot. I forgot that he was still standing there.

Kurosaki-kun and Sado-kun who are up and about, wide alert, gaped in astonishment at Ishida-kun.

Kurosaki-kun elbowed Sado-kun and whispered, "He _did _threw her away didn't he?"

Sado-kun replied with a nod.

"Gomen ne, Sado-kun…Kurosaki-kun….! I didn't know you guys were standing there…but I'm glad you guys are alright!" I told the other two in an effort to make them forget about that embarrassing yet horrendous incident. I definitely do not want them blaming Ishida-kun for the rest of his life. Perhaps it was slightly his fault but maybe Ishida-kun _really_ accidentally threw me away or maybe his fingers slipped (his speech was rather long) so it is not _entirely_ his fault! I turn my attention towards my, guardian/thrower, Ishida-kun, who is still clearly dazed by the impact, determined to tell him my true feelings. The fact that he threw me away is blotched out of my memory.

"Ori…hime…uh…Inoue, you're…"he stammered. I put my finger on his lips to stop him from saying more and gave him a light kiss fully on his lips. When I pulled away, his eyes still have a glazed look on them.

"…Orihime! Inoue…I thought you like…" he stopped and glanced at Kurosaki-kun. I looked from Kurosaki-kun to Ishida-kun, confused, wondering where Ishida-kun got the idea that I like Kurosaki-kun from.

'I just gave my _first kiss _to him… doesn't that tell him something? Anything? Or did I give him the impression that I go around kissing strangers especially those who just catapulted me into the air?' I thought.

Taking a deep breath, I answered him. "Ishida-kun? Are you trying to say _something_ about…_Kurosaki-kun and I?_"

"Uh…yeah…you were…" he looked away, blushing furiously. "……on our way here."

"_I……what!_" clueless of what he is trying to imply.

"…you were in…ecstasy…..calling out to….for…"he threw me a quick look at Kurosaki-kun before turning back to look at me. That maneuver explained several things but I_ am_ still confused about the whole thing.

"Ecstasy? Ishida-kun, are you trying to tell me that I was sleep talking and I called out for Kurosaki-kun in _ecstasy_?"

Ishida-kun kept quiet. Everyone nodded at this statement.

"….I did?" my eyes bulged with horror.

Everyone nodded again in unison.

"But I…I……." I could not say it. Ishida-kun is petulantly staring at a spot on the grass, carefully avoiding any eye-contact with me. I flail my arms haplessly trying to get him to look at me and tell me that he _did not_ think of me that way.

"…I couldn't have done it! Did I call out 'Kurosaki-kun' or did I call out _for_ Kurosaki-kun?"

They nodded again. They look like those spring dolls people put on their dashboards where the doll's heads would bob up and down each time the car bounces over a hump.

"_Inoue, …called out…_"came Sado-kun's low rumble.

I waited for him to give a more elaborate explanation to his given explanation but unfortunately he said nothing else after that.

"_Chado,_ you are doing it again! This time you left out the most important part of the _sentence_!" said Kurosaki-kun giving him a slap on his back.

"_Ichigo…_" shrieked Sado-kun all of a sudden, in a falsetto voice. I jumped.

'_That_ sounded weird coming from a hunk like Sado-kun. Perhaps the collision did caused some serious damage to their brains. Or could it be post-traumatic stress? But…that isn't important now… err….is there _something_ going on between Kurosaki-kun and Sado-kun? I seriously thought that Kurosaki-kun _is_ straight with all those _things_ between him and Rukia!' I thought to myself, eying the two of them wearily. 'Strange, Kurosaki-kun isn't responding to Sado-kun. I'm sure he heard _that_…'

"Ano…Kurosaki-kun? I think Sado-kun is trying to tell you something."

"He _is…_! I thought he was telling _you_ what 'you called out for' when you were asleep!"

"Huh! You mean…_that_...wasn't…I did _that_?"

Everyone present safe for Ishida-kun nodded again with affirmative. Then I remembered the dream! It came rushing back to me like a broken dam; the dream of strawberries and cheese.

'That was wonderful but the aftermath of it is clearly a _disaster_. The only thing to do now is tell them about it.'

"Ah…sou ka? Now that you mentioned it……I had a dream just now. It was a wonderful dream!" I clapped my hands in delight at the thought of it.

Everyone including Ishida-kun is now staring at me like I had three eyes, four legs and ten arms. A slight tinge of blush coloured Kurosaki-kun's cheeks. I could hear the thoughts running through their minds now, 'Is she going to tell us all the glossy details about her escapade with Kurosaki-kun _now_?'

"Ahh…_its not like that……nothing like that!_" I could feel my cheeks and my neck burning red hot at the mere thought of their thoughts. "It was about '_ichigo' and cheese! _There were so many of them and they all taste so sweet."

Kurosaki-kun's face turned a deeper shade of red. Sado-kun is staring at Kurosaki-kun with countless wrinkles etched onto his forehead. It then occurred to me that perhaps Sado-kun thinks I am referring to Kurosaki-kun when I said 'ichigo' and is now imagining multiple of Kurosaki-kuns surrounded by cheese being eaten by me. Maybe that's why Kurosaki-kun is so embarrass, Ishida-kun looks like he wants to murder me and Uruhara-san seems to be enjoying the whole drama!

The image was so humourous, I ended up giggling helplessly. This caught their attention and they look fixedly at me, all previous thoughts clearly deleted from their memory bank.

"I didn't mean _ichigo_ as in Kurosaki _Ichigo_ but_ ichigo_ as in the fruit itself…"I explained.

A look of relieve swept through all of them and they calmed down.

"Then you don't _like_ Kurosaki?" Ishida asked, suddenly repossessing his ability to speak rather fluently compared to just now.

"I do….but not the way you _think!_" I smiled mysteriously at him.

"_Ossu_, shall we get going? We have been out here for a while….with all those _excitement…we would still be here till the next century if we don't get moving!_" announced Uruhara, walking towards his store with Kurosaki-kun and Sado-kun on his heels.

Ishida turned to follow suit. I reached out and grabbed his hand, stopping him in mid-stride.

"_I love you Ishida-kun…even if what you said just now was a fluke…I will still love you…_" the words came out in a rush. "_But next time…could you just put me down gently and try telling me that first instead of throwing me away to prove your point…?_"

* * *

Translations: 

Kuso - shit

Shimata - Dammit

Sou ka - is it?

AN: This is the end of it but if any of you guys out there think I should continue, please drop me a line! I hope you guys enjoyed it.

_Veronica _is a type of herbaceous plant with narrow pointed leaves and spikes of blue or purple by some as public enemy number one to their carpet grass!


	5. Romance under the Moon

Thanks everyone for the reviews. The romance between Ishida and Inoue is buffed up in this chapter though I am sorry if it is too mushy at some parts. I guess I got carried away.

* * *

Disclaimer: I **do not** own Bleach and its characters but they belong to their respective owners! 

_Orihime's POV_

I turned towards Uruhara's store; a blush tinged my pale cheeks, a result of that impromptu confession to Ishida-kun. I was really nervous about it just now but the only thing I feel now is misery although my heart is still racing like a horse in the racing tracks and my body still tingling like crazy. I broke into a stride towards the entrance of the store, thinking that perhaps a little distance between Ishida-kun and I would do wonders to calm the nerves. After all, we _are_ running behind schedule due to those little 'incidents' and misunderstandings. Great, to add to the misery, now there is guilt too and that distance deos not help my nerves one bit!

Suddenly I felt a familiar touch on my wrist; someone's hand is holding onto mine, halting my progression. The grip was firm and commanding yet gentle at the same time. Without a flick, I know in my heart who it was. I reluctantly looked over my shoulders at the owner of it, my face flaming up helplessly.

"_Chotto, Orihime_!" Ishida-kun said softly. His deep blue eyes bore straight into mine, sort of pleading me to comply with his request. A part of me wanted to stay but another part wanted to flee. Flee like the way the wind carries a dry leaf.

'_Must get away…no…I have to stay…I want to stay…NO…RUN AWAY NOW…run while you still can…_'

The dilemma continued on within me; should I or should I not? Fueling the uncertainty is none other than Ishida-kun's pheromones and my very own hormones channeling through my body; creating chaos inside my brain and sending weird signals to my entire neural system.

* * *

Chad's POV 

We stood in the huge cavern beneath the store waiting patiently, again, for Inoue and Ishida. I could have sworn they were following us closely behind when we entered the store. What _is _taking them so long?

The seconds ticked by, slowly turning into minutes and still we waited, and waited. We surreptitiously glanced up the tall ladder leading up to the store, hoping to catch a sign of either one of them appearing anytime soon but not even a shadow shaded the hatch at the very top of the ladder.

After a huge dose of waiting, Ichigo started fidgeting impatiently; unable to keep standing still any longer whereas Uruhara began preoccupying himself with one of those dead looking trees nearby, unbothered about the missing members of the group. Meanwhile, Tessai continued standing in his 'Buckingham soldier' stance, a little distance away from us, except his arms are crossed in front of him (not at the side) and he is missing one of those tall Bobby hats and red uniform with a huge ancient rifle/gun in one hand.

_

* * *

Orihime's POV_

I was still pondering about the next appropriate move when the grip on my wrist became a strong tug. I found myself twirling instinctively into Ishida-kun's direction. The same way a dancer knows when to twirl into her partners arm when he jerks her in mid-step. To be frank with myself, I know I have no talent in dancing or ballet. So when that jerk came, the only image that my overloaded mind could conjure up was a motorway accident involving a big cement mixer and a stray chicken defying the cliche punchline of 'why did the chicken cross the road'.

'Oh no…I'm going to crash into him…like the way that cement mixer did...why...why did he do that for?' I thought frantically, for the second time tonight. 'The last thing I want is bodily contact…'

The angel on my right shoulder nodded with approval at my abhorrence while the devil on my left kept urging and egging me on.

"Quit fighting it, you've been craving for _this _since he saved you a few years ago! You craved for it at your apartment too, don't be shy…get in there and enjoy it!" the devil said punctuating the air with jabs of his pitchfork.

'NOOO….he doesn't love me…he never once had an ounce of feeling for me!' I affirmed my stand, shaking my head to clear away the tempting and juicy thoughts.

'NO, HE DOESN'T LOVE ME!' the sensible part of me took hold and upped the defence. Soon the devil gave way and back off, defeated.

Besides, it is useless running away from reality and lying to myself that the person I love also holds the same feelings for me was the worse mistake I have ever made. I have made that mistake once and I am proud to say that I have learned from it. I would not make the same mistake again. I prepared my body to push myself away and regain my balance independently; no way am I having Ishida-kun pulling me up to my feet again. I resolved to do this, the plan was safe-proof except...somehow I could not muster any energy to carry it out.

I gave up and left my fate into the hands of destiny, in this case, to Ishida-kun. I hope he would let me down gently this time, not as hostile like before. I braced myself for the impact but it never came instead I found myself…in a half-lying position with my body positioned in such a way that I have no choice but to look straight at Ishida-kun's angular face. My cheeks reddened even deeper.

I felt like Scarlet in the arms of Rhett in that 'Gone with the Wind' movie. My breath hastened at the very reminiscences of that particular romantic scene in the parlour. After all, we **_do_** look like the Japanese version of Scarlet and Rhett. Moreover, the way Ishida-kun is holding onto me now, with one hand firmly supporting my back while the other clutching my wrist loosely, coupled with the moonlight and the starry night sky as its background; it all creates the same romantic atmosphere of that touching scene. Though, in my opinion, I think this is actually much much more romantic and natural than that Oscar winning scene.

* * *

Ichigo's POV 

'Where are they? They _could not _have gotten lost…I mean…they have been here countless of times and the store isn't that big either…' My eyes ran through the 'room' we are in. '…ok…in here it's humungous but the outside looks _semai_ and _chiisai_…the store itself is downright tiny for _goodness sake_!'

_

* * *

Orihime's POV_

My choice to flee has whittled down to zilch but I realize that I was hardly bothered by that fact now. Ishida-kun's last move, proves that he can be really persistent when he wants to talk to me. I doubt he would take 'no' for an answer if I told him that I have to take a rain check because I ran out of red thread and have to dash to the nearby 24 hours sewing shop to get some before my neighbours teddybear's bleed all its stuffings out! Therefore, that concludes why should not fret about running away from his clutches. That and also because my heart do actually aches badly to be by his side.

"Issshiiiii…daa-kun?" I said, hoping to prompt an explanation about all this from him. Feelings aside, I am still a clueless damsel caught in the middle of the things and to make matters worse, everything is happening too fast.

I felt his hand move from his its position over my hand. He brought the free hand up to my lips and hushed me with a finger. His actions were fluid and emanates an aura of serenity. I relaxed my muscles and the tension in my body melted away. I cast away the foolish thoughts that Ishida-kun would fling me away again. I _am_ in good hands. Ishida-kun is clearly a different man from before; completely different from that man who cold-heartedly sent me airborne into the air minutes ago. Yes, that Ishida-kun and this Ishida-kun is different. This is the same Ishida-kun I have known all these years but this is also definitely a different side of Ishida-kun that I have never seen before!

Next he lifted his hand to my hair and began smoothing out the tangles, letting my hair run through his fingers, before letting it go freely to let gravity pull it down untill it ended in a pool of brown-orangey mass on the ground.

I could only stare hypnotically into his blue eyes, which I must point out, never left my face once in the course of his actions.

"Orihime, I'm sorry about…_just now_…I promise I would never throw you away!" Ishida-kun said his hand busy brushing my crown of glory, while his eyes looked fixedly at me. I could tell that he really meant every word he said. A shiver went through my spine. The manner of his speaking especially his voice has changed, it sounded different, and for a minute there it _actually _sounded rather sexy! "…_ever…this I promise you…till the day that I die…_"

'Stop it! This is insane…'

I was still unraveling from the shock of the change in Ishida-kun, together with all those petting, that husky voice, those innocent blue eyes, not to mention my conscience and the never-ending internal war with a part of me which stubbornly insists I keep my distance lest my heart would suffer from yet another painful rejection!

'What is happening? Why is Ishida-kun doing all this?' my mind screamed.

Either my expression gave nothing away to the chaos that reign within me or I am really gifted in masking my internal conflicts for Ishida-kun paid no attention to my lack of reaction to his new pledge and continued to smoothen and stoke my hair like I was one of those prized cats in the Annual Blue Ribbon Competition. I noticed that he wore the same silly smile he had when he was in my apartment as he pulled back my hair and hooked it neatly behind my ears, before giving it a long run through its lengths and an elaborate pat on the head. Finally he was done with his obsession about my hair.

Our gaze at each other never broke even once during the whole exchange. After that, he proceeded to trace the outline of my face with his fingers.Then it occured to me that Ishida-kun's blue eyes are the bluest blue I have ever seen. Or maybe it is just because I have never ever been given such an opportunity by someone to openly stare at them for such a long period of time.

"Orihime, do you know that you are the loveliest angel I have ever seen?" his fingers continued its careful journey on my skin as he whispered those words to me. My heart raced faster, my palms began to sweat and hyper-ventilation has escalated another fold whereas my cheeks are completely seared to a point of no return.

"You are so…._beautiful_….your skin so..._soft and smooth_...your lips..."

* * *

Ichigo's POV 

My digital watch shows that almost half an hour had passed since we entered the basement. At the way things are turning out, it seems like Ishida and Inoue has dropped off the surface of the Earth.

"Ooi, one of us should go out and find them! They could be lost…or something," I suggested to the other people present.

Though, it seems impossible for them to be lost. Since all they have to do is come in through the front door, follow the corridor to the back of the store and climb down the stairs. It is as simple as that. Furthermore, the two of them _are _the cream of the crop in our school; they surely should know how the front door of a store looks like moreover this store unless they really got lost while finding the door.

'Yeah right, as if they _were_ that dumb! If they were, I wouldn't be suffering from inferiority complex all these years…'

Even if they were really lost, they could just follow our spiritual trace and it would lead them directly back to the right path again. Although, I hate to admit it but Ishida is way better than I am at sensing spiritual energy.

'_What **is **taking them so long?_'

I close my eyes and concentrate, trying to find their current positions. Maybe by noting their positions I could deduce the reason behind their punctuality.

'Whaaaa….they are still standing outside the store! What the hell?'

"Oooi…." I exclaimed, about to suggest that we should seriously consider sending someone out there to find them again.

"Koraa…let's pick straws…the one with the shortest…is the lucky one to climb up and go out there to find them!" _geta-boshi_ said cheerfully, taking out a bunch of white and red stripe straws from his pocket and waving it around to emphasize his point. He went to Chado first and offered the stack to him. After Chado picked a long one, it was Tessai's turn. He too picked a long one.

There were only two straws left in _geta-boshi's _clutch. He came and offered me one. I instinctively took the one on the right since it looks long. Even the end was sticking out while the other disappeared somewhere in his palm. I pulled it out from his grip triumphantly expecting a long one except…

"Ja, Kurosaki-kuuunnnn! Yorishiku ne…."_geta-boshi_ said waving the last long straw of the batch in my face with a smug plastered on his face.

I spluttered incredulously. I wanted to object and request for a redraw, when it occurred to me that that sounds too childish and unsporting for an ideal healthy seventeen year-old high school male. Wordlessly, I trudged to the ladder and heaved myself up.

"Bye-bye, Kurosaki-kuuunnnn!" _geta-boshi's _voice echoed irritatingly behind me as I made my slow climb up to the store.

_

* * *

Orihime's POV_

"…you are wrong about that part that I don't love you…" Ishida-kun said, his index finger still gently caressing my cheeks. "I do…very….much…." his words trailed away.

Ishida-kun's face is now inching closer to my face. My heart is pounding; I could feel the blood rushing in my ears. Our lips were almost touching when…

* * *

Ichigo's POV 

"**_OOOI…._****_ISHIDAAA_!** **WHERE ARE YOU?" **I shouted as I approached the front door. I could see two figures up ahead.

When my eyes finally adjusted to the darkness outside, I could make out Ishida calmly pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose with one hand and waving his other hand at me. I cannot find Inoue anywhere though my senses tells me otherwise.

"Uh…Ichigo…" he said. I ignored him and scanned the area. My eyes feel upon the figure of someone lying on the ground by Ishida's foot. It looks like Inoue!

I arched my eyebrows suspiciously.

"Ishida, what were _you_ doing?" I asked the lanky archer, throwing him a disgusted look.

"Uh…Ori…Inoue…and I were…_talking…nothing much really…_" he answered glancing nervously at Inoue, his face has a ghostly sheen to it. "…_until I accidentally dropped her!"_

'_Ishida if you took advantage of Inoue, I swear I would…I would…_' My big brother protective mode kicked into action as I stared at the motionless figure of Inoue on the ground. '_Wait; did he just say 'drop her_'? Oh no…not again!'

_

* * *

Orihime's POV_

'_Oh yeah, Ishida-kun was about to kiss me…our faces were millimeters apart…until we heard Kurosaki-kun's voice. What happened next? Why can't I remember? _'

I cast my memory back as far as back as I could but the only thing I could come up with is the night sky. It looked so pretty tonight. When I blinked, the sky disappeared and Kurosaki-kun's scrunched up face floated by. After that, it was all black and blank. I remember…nothing!

'_What happened?_'

* * *

Ishida's POV 

'_How stupid of you, Uryuu… you promised her you won't throw her and minutes after that…you dropped her like a sack of potatoes…just because Kurosaki was approaching and you didn't want him making fun of you…'_

No; its not Kurosaki's fault Orihime is still unconscious, the trip to Soul Society has to be postponed and we all missed the first paper of our finals. Its my entire fault, all mine.

'_Why? Why do the people I care about always get hurt? Why?_'

I clenched my fist till my finger nails dug into my flesh creating crescents.

'_Sorry Orihime…please be alright! God, from now on I will do anything, even deprive myself of her love…just let her be herself again…I promise I would not get near her again…please make her wake up...that's all I ask of You!'_

_**

* * *

TRANSLATIONS**_

_**Kora – hey**_

**_Yoroshiku – over here its something like I'll leave it up to you._**

_**Semai – narrow**_

_**Chiisai – small**_

_**Geta-boshi – sandals - straw hat  
**_

_**Chotto – wait/ got a minute**_

**_AN: I was thinking of leaving out the POV thingy since if you pay attention to the sentences its easy to figure out who's talking and I admit I'm too lazy to type it out but I decided to just put the effort in and include it because this chapter flies from one person to another too frequently, and it does get downright confusing at times. Heck, I even got myself confused too while I was writing it. Who knows what would happen to you innocent readers out there if I hadn't include it, you guys might need to check into an asylum after reading it and I might get sued in the process.Yikes!_**

**_Boy, am I glad that I got off my lazy butt and included it.Hehe…well, hope you guys enjoyed it!  
_**


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